Mattering Worlds is an international media art residency exploring artistic practice in relation to more-than-human ecologies, technological infrastructures, and environmental transformation. Hosted by Ars Techne in Armenia, the program brings together artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners working across disciplines such as media art, sound, bioart, speculative design, and critical technology studies.

The residency supports research-driven and process-based artistic work that engages with ecological responsibility, situated knowledge, and experimental forms of collaboration. Participants are encouraged to develop projects that reflect on planetary conditions, local contexts, and the entanglements between human and non-human agencies. Rather than focusing solely on production, the program emphasizes dialogue, field inquiry, collective learning, and public engagement.

Residents take part in workshops, site visits, reading sessions, and open studio moments, while also contributing to Ars Techne’s public program through talks, presentations, or small-scale interventions. The residency aims to foster meaningful exchange between international and local communities, strengthen interdisciplinary networks, and create space for critical reflection on how artistic practices can respond to contemporary ecological and technological challenges.

Residencies at Zea Mays Printmaking are designed to fit each artist’s unique needs and desires. In addition to our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, we offer residents the opportunity to enhance their experience with one-on-one instruction with our expert faculty. Dig into a new printmaking technique, receive guidance and feedback on your works-in-progress, or learn to apply Zea Mays Printmaking’s sustainability methods to your existing practice.

Enjoy the luxury of a fully equipped private studio within our print shop. The Annex is equipped with a gorgeous Takach etching press (39.5″ x 72″), large work tables, flat file storage, a sink and plenty of wall space for work in progress. We are happy to bring in additional equipment and tools as needed including a vertical etching tank, large hotplate, large rollers and hand brayers, screen printing press, drying boards.

Residency artists have access to all of the other facilities in the studio during our open hours. These include:

• airbrush aquatint booth
• vertical etching tanks with Ferric Chloride mordant and Copper Sulfate Saline mordant
• plate shear
• photopolymer darkroom with NuArc K-1 exposure unit (for plates up to 18” x 24”)
• screenprinting darkroom with LED exposure unit for screens up to 27” x 34”
• screenprinting washout sink with power washer
• Vandercook 4 letterpress and Showcard letterpress with wooden type
• Digital Lab (computer, scanner, Epson 4900 printer)
• Print dryer and flattener
• Light table

There are four virtual residency programs: Ocean, Our Earth, “Atmos-fear,” and Sustainability.

They focus on topics such as ocean conservation, sustainability and rooted communities, memory, territory, the earth, and climate.

They are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and are supported as an endorsed activity by the United Nations Decade of the Ocean.

There are 4 programs in support of and committed to UNESCO’s environmental and humanistic goals.

We guide residents so they can focus on working on a project for 6 weeks through virtual meetings (1 per week), exchange dialogue and ideas with other residents (of all nationalities), participate in talks with special guests related to science and ancestral perspectives, and thus enhance their work.

We hold a virtual Open Studio and an exhibition on a virtual map to conclude each program.

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In 2027, Oak Spring will award its inaugural Fine Crafts and Design Fellowship to an early-career craftsperson or designer whose work demonstrates exceptional skill, artistic vision, and meaningful engagement with the natural world. This fellowship celebrates the intersection where form meets function, while honoring the aesthetics, material integrity, and craftsmanship at the heart of fine craft and design. The fellowship is intent- and inspiration-focused, rather than outcome-focused, meaning that we seek artists whose work is consistent with the objectives of the fellowship, without an expectation that they complete a prescribed project while at Oak Spring.

This fellowship is generously supported by Tiffany & Co. in honor of their lasting association with Mrs. Mellon and especially with the jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger.

The fellowship also honors the legacy of our founder Rachel “Bunny” Mellon – an avid gardener, patron, and collector – whose discerning eye and deep appreciation for exquisite design are reflected in her collaborations with artists such as Jean Schlumberger, Hubert de Givenchy, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Diego Giacometti. Ideal applicants will demonstrate a commitment to material exploration, sustainability, and/or reimagining traditional techniques in innovative ways.

nWilderHaven Artist Residency (WHAR)

The WilderHaven Artist Residency aims to gather artists, musicians, writers, scholars and local artisans, cultivating a space where creative minds converge to explore, experiment, and connect. In an era marked by a deepening awareness of individuality and the pursuit of freedom, WHAR serves as a sanctuary for interdisciplinary practices. As artists navigate foreign lands and cultures, their work becomes a bridge between traditions and contemporary thought, contributing to a broader understanding of existence and the ever-evolving relationship between art, science, politics, economics, and spirituality.

Residency Structure

• Cohort Size: 8-14 artists per season, representing diverse media and career stages.
• Program Length: 2-week or 4 week stays (4 weeks strongly encouraged for a fully immersive experience).
• Key Events:
  1. Open-Format Artist Presentations (mid-season)
  2. Public Open Studio (final weekend)

Support & Flexibility

To keep fees accessible and creative freedom high, our team:

• Acts as on-site facilitators, not administrators—assisting with logistics, material sourcing, and technical questions as needed.
• Provides shared workspaces, amenities (kitchen, snack bar), and curated cultural excursions.
• Adapts living and studio arrangements to suit individual needs.

Where We Work

Residencies take place in multiple towns and natural retreats across:

• Yunnan Province (tropical ethnic cultural hubs)
• Guizhou Province (ethnic Yi and Miao regions)
• Sichuan Province 

Dream Factory Sound Sanctuary (DFSS) is a nonprofit artist residency and recording studio located in the quiet high desert of Southern California. Our residency program supports musicians, composers, producers, and sound artists seeking a focused environment to create, learn, explore, and deepen their craft.

We host one resident artist at a time for immersive stays. Residency length is typically 2–3 weeks, with some flexibility depending on the artist’s goals and schedule.

Each residency includes lodging, daily meals, full access to a professional recording studio, and a large library of acoustic and electronic instruments. Residents also have the option to work closely with an experienced studio engineer who can support both technical and creative development—whether the focus is recording and production, learning the fundamentals, or experimenting without pressure to complete an album or release.

The program is designed to reduce common barriers to creative growth by offering dedicated studio time, guidance when desired, and a peaceful natural setting that supports deep concentration. Dream Factory’s instrument collection and studio environment invite both traditional workflows and exploratory sound practices.

The surrounding desert landscape provides quiet and spaciousness; many artists weave in reflection, nature walks, and personal practices alongside studio work. DFSS is supported by community donations and partnerships that help us offer residencies with minimal financial

Anita Lynn Wetzel was the founding spirit of Women’s Studio Workshop. In her life and in her art she epitomized generosity and grace. Anita was a true humanist, in one with nature. In honor of Anita’s legacy, her friends and WSW are establishing the Anita Wetzel Residency Grant at Women’s Studio Workshop. The Anita Wetzel Residency Grant is a new opportunity focused on mature artists (45 years old and up) to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. This residency gives artists the necessity of time and space, 4-6 weeks, to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. Artists may choose to work in any one or more of our studios: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screen printing, or darkroom photography. 

This residency is fully subsidized. WSW provides housing and studio space at no cost. Additionally, the selected artist will receive a stipend of $350/week, up to $500 for materials used during the residency, and up to $250 toward travel within the Continental US. Artists receive a thorough studio orientation and are expected to work independently, although studio staff is available to provide assistance. Deep technical assistance can be arranged for an additional fee. The artist is responsible for any other expenses such as meals and incidentals while in residence.

The Studio Residency Grant is a six- to eight-week residency for artists to create new work in any of our studio disciplines: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, or photography. WSW invites applications from artists at any stage in their careers.

This grant includes a stipend of $350/week, up to $500 for materials used during the residency, up to $250 for travel within the Continental US, free onsite housing, and 24/7 studio access. WSW can also provide technical advice and production assistance.

The Monastery Arts Residency brings artists and writers to live, create, and seek beauty for a week under summer skies at Mount Saviour Monastery near Elmira, NY. It is the only arts residency in the world that takes place at an active Catholic monastery.

The week is a unique blend of solitude and community. During the day, residents work independently on their own creative projects, with access to over 1,000 acres of monastery grounds and sheep fields. In the evening, the group gathers for programming, work sharing, and community time. The residency is deliberately interdisciplinary, bringing together twelve to fifteen painters, writers, musicians, actors, and other artists per session.

The rhythm of the week is shaped by the monks' daily prayers, the Divine Office. No one is obligated to attend, though all are invited. There is limited cell service and Wi-Fi. The silence, the land, and the monastic schedule quietly reorganize how residents experience time, attention, and their own creative work.

Residents live in private single rooms in the monastery guesthouse. Meals are included and taken with the monks. Visual artists share a studio in the monastic crafts building; writers and musicians have access to the library, practice rooms, and a monastery piano.

Two sessions run each summer, Monday afternoon through Sunday morning. All residents must commit to the full week. Artists of all faith backgrounds, or none, are welcome.

The Carolȳnne Whitefeather Regional Grant is a month-long residency for artists residing in Greene, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, and Orange counties. This opportunity has been named by the funder to honor the artist’s significant and innovative contributions to the field of printmaking.

Whitefeather’s work reshaped the medium of screen-printing by pioneering water-based, non-toxic, and archival processes that expanded serigraphy’s possibilities as fine art. This material innovation was inseparable from the development of a distinct visual language grounded in artisan practice. Drawing from North Florida’s cultural and ecological diversity, Carolȳnne Whitefeather’s art engages the oral traditions and natural surroundings of the artist’s youth. Immersed among Seminole elders and descendants of European and First Peoples near Tallahassee, the artist channels the layered heritage of forests, rivers, and prairies into a diverse practice. The inaugural Carolȳnne Whitefeather Regional Grant will commence in 2026, following in the footsteps of the Ora Schneider Artist in Residency Program (2006–2024), and will continue to provide opportunities for regional artists.

WSW will award this residency to one artist, who may choose to work independently in any of our studio disciplines. Priority will be given to artists with experience and a working knowledge of etching or monoprint; letterpress; papermaking; or screenprinting.